As a high school student, I need as much energy as my mind can handle. Without energy, I could not wake up at 6:45 every morning, endure seven hours of learning, and do hours of homework. Adults wonder how students do it, but the secret is caffeinated drinks.

Some prefer coffee, some prefer energy drinks like Rockstar or Red Bull. Others even prefer insane alternatives, such as sleep.

Seeing as how sleep seems nearly impossible lately with homework loads, tweeting, and fall television show premieres, I put my other options to the test. Which works better: coffee or energy drinks?

On Saturday, September 27, I started my groggy morning off with a warm cup of coffee. My day instantly became much better. I felt snug and cozy, but awake and ready for the day. I actually focused and worked on my homework for a few hours. I kept tabs on myself all day and I noticed that I never crashed, and by bedtime, I felt ready to fall asleep.

Then, Sunday popped up with another slow morning. This time, I kicked off the day with a Rockstar lemonade energy drink. I gagged four times, but I managed to finish the entire can. Although the taste repulsed me, I jumped up and wanted to run around for a few hours like a toddler. However, when I tried to focus on one task, I became so excited to start working that I never actually started working. This lack of focus worsened later when I suffered from the infamous crash. By bedtime, I had already felt half asleep for a few hours.

When sleep seems unavailable and early mornings mandatory, just drink coffee. Coffee practically saves lives, despite its teeth-staining reputation and elevated blood pressure effects. Understandably so, those certain characteristics of coffee can really turn sleepless students away from drinking it. So sleep whenever possible, drink coffee when necessary, and avoid Rockstar at any and all costs.